


In the Woods

by gay_for_rey1999



Category: Archie Comics, Riverdale (TV 2017)
Genre: F/M, Gen, but not really, fake dating au, im sorry
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-17
Updated: 2017-07-17
Packaged: 2018-12-03 13:24:27
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,462
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11533131
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/gay_for_rey1999/pseuds/gay_for_rey1999
Summary: Betty asks Jughead to be her fake boyfriend so she can bring him to her grandma's lake house





	In the Woods

**Author's Note:**

> Come talk to me on tumblr @gay-for-rey1999

Summary: Betty wants to take her childhood best friend and long-time crush, Jughead Jones to her grandma’s lake house. There’s a catch: only family and romantic partners are allowed. Fake relationships and mutual pining ensue  
\---  
“Jughead? I just had the best idea! I figured out how to get you up to my grandma’s house!” Betty Cooper announced as she strolled into the Blue and Gold office, her and Jughead’s sanctuary.  
“Really?” Jughead responded. “That’s great! What do we need to do?”  
“Well you know the rule is family or significant others only, right? Well, what if we pretended to be dating so you could finally come with us!” Betty was beaming. She had wanted to bring her best friend, Jughead Jones, up to her grandma’s lake house for years. But her grandma had a strict rule saying that only family members and their romantic partners could come up. She had difficulty saying “no” to people, so with her rule, she made sure nobody would be able to take advantage of her hospitality. Betty had tried to reason with her grandmother, saying that Jughead would never take advantage, but she remained firm in her response. “If I let you bring a platonic friend, then everybody else would want to bring theirs. I’m sorry darling, but I can’t break this rule, even for my favorite granddaughter,” she explained to Betty a few years prior. She put it out of her mind until this solution came and hit her between the eyes during an especially dull chemistry lecture.   
“I don’t know, Betty. Would it work? I mean, would your parents buy it? And would we have to act all coupley?” Jughead began to ramble, just like he always did when he was nervous. He had been in love with Betty ever since they met in second grade when he moved to Riverdale. She had yelled at Reggie Mantle for making fun of him and they had been inseparable ever since.   
Betty cut him off with a short laugh. “Juggie, we already act like a couple. Literally half the school thinks we’re dating. And my parents have been suspicious ever since I started liking boys. It won’t take much acting to sell this. Maybe a few cheek kisses here and there.”  
“You know what? Let’s do this! I’ve been dying to see your grandma’s lake house for years. Betty Cooper, will you fake date me?” Jughead had gotten down on one knee for dramatic effect.  
“Oh my goodness, Juggie, I thought you would never ask,” Betty giggled as she took his outstretched hand in both of hers. They were really doing this.  
\---  
“Oh my god, V. What have I done?” Betty worried her bottom lip with her teeth as she told her other best friend about her plan to get Jughead up to her grandma’s house. “I mean, I’ve been in love with him since second grade! This was a really bad idea. And I’ll be lying to my entire family, even my grandma! Why didn’t I think this through?”  
“Relax, Betty. It’ll be okay. It always is. Even if everything goes to shit, it’ll be for the best.” Veronica was impressively calm as she watched her best friend bite a hole through her lip. “Okay what’s the worst case scenario?”  
“He finds out how I feel about him. And he doesn’t feel the same.”  
“Then you know he isn’t interested and you can stop pining and move on. Besides, I heard that Trev was thinking of asking you out.” Veronica could make any situation seem positive in the long run.  
“Okay, what if my grandma finds out I lied to her? She doesn’t deserve that.”   
“You’re her favorite. She’d forgive you in a heartbeat. Didn’t she tell you that she would let you bring him if it didn’t mean the rest of your family would step all over her? She’s not going to care as long as the rest of your family thinks you’re dating. Also, the way you two look at each other, nobody will suspect anything. Seriously, Betty, you have nothing to worry about. He’s so far gone for you, it’s almost painful to watch.” The brunette was beginning to lose her patience with the blonde. She wouldn’t be surprised if they came back dating for real.  
“You’re right, V, except for that last part. He doesn’t think of me like that,” she said with a sullen certainty. Veronica just rolled her eyes at her best friend’s blindness  
\---  
Betty and Jughead had a foolproof plan. First, they were going to convince the Coopers of their faux romance. Then, Betty was going to ask them if he could go with them over spring break to the lake house. If they said no, they would try again in the summer. If they said yes, then they were good to go.  
As for convincing the Coopers, Betty and Jughead were in disagreement of how they should break the news. Betty was convinced the best way was casual PDA, while Jughead thought they should just flat out tell them. He eventually caved to Betty’s plan, because Alice Cooper scared the hell out of him.  
They walked home together, as they usually did, but today was different. Today, the couple held hands as they walked up to the Cooper residence, launching their plan into action. It seemed to work, considering Alice appeared to watch the pair even closer than usual.   
“Do you trust me?” Jughead turned to Betty as soon as Alice left the room for the umpteenth time.  
“Of course. Why?” Betty’s wonderings were cut off as Alice walked back in the room, reminding them to stay focused on their homework. It was then that Jughead took the plunge and gave Betty a quick peck on the cheek, surprising both her and her mother. While Betty’s surprise took the form of a small smile, Alice’s was less than subtle.   
“So, Elizabeth, you’ve been lying to us all these years about the nature of your relationship with Jughead?” She inquired coldly.  
“No mom, this is new, I swear!” Betty explained, her hand resting lightly on the spot where Jughead had kissed her. Despite her panic at her mother’s response, she was in a daze. Sure it was only a peck on the cheek, but she had been pining for this boy for half her life. Anything and everything sent a small thrill down her spine and erupted butterflies in her stomach.  
Alice smiled sweetly at the two teenagers and responded, “Well then, Jug-head, if this is the case, you are more than welcome to join us on our vacation to Betty’s grandmother’s house over spring break.” Her words were more a command than a suggestion as she walked out of the room once again.   
“That was terrifying,” Betty exhaled.  
“You’re telling me,” Jughead replied. “But our plan worked! We can go back to normal in a few more weeks.” Betty couldn’t help but notice that he sounded less than excited at the prospect of returning to normalcy  
\---  
The drive up to Grandma Cooper’s house was four hours long, but felt like an eternity. Polly had elected to stay home so she could be with Jason. This made for a very awkward journey, as Hal Cooper grilled Jughead about everything he could think of. He didn’t seem to approve of Jughead, despite knowing him half his life. Thankfully, there was only so much interrogating he could do before he ran out of questions. From then on, the only sound in the car was the music playing on the radio. Betty and Jughead communicated in text messages, despite being right next to each other. The last thing they wanted was to be overheard in the too-quiet car by Betty’s intrusive parents.   
\---  
“And you two can have the couch bed.” Grandma Cooper had just finished helping the Coopers and Jughead settle in. Jughead was extremely nervous about sharing a bed with the girl he loved from afar for so long, but hid it well.   
“Thank you so much for letting me be here….” Jughead trailed off, since he had no idea what the respectful title here would be  
“Oh, you can just call me Grandma, dear,” she replied, with a sweet smile on her face.  
“Right. Thank you, Grandma.” It felt a little weird, but he liked it.   
That night, they were careful not to lay too close together. Neither wanted to make the other uncomfortable, so they kept their distance and drifted off quickly.  
The next morning, Jughead woke up to his arms full of Betty and his legs tangled in hers. He couldn’t help but notice how right it felt to have her in his arms, and how their bodies seemed to fit together like puzzle pieces.   
\---  
When Betty woke up, the first thing she registered was warmth. She was the most comfortable she had ever been, despite spending the night on the lumpy couch bed. The next thing she registered was warm arms surrounding her and the gentle breathing of her best friend beside her. She stretched slightly, locating her legs tangled in his, and moved to untangle them when she heard Jughead mumble.  
“Good morning, sleeping beauty. Sleep well last night?” They both sat up, stretching lightly.  
“Like a baby,” Betty answered. “You?”   
“Like a bear in the dead of winter.” They both laughed at his joke, each savoring the feeling of waking up next to the other. The moment was ruined when Jughead’s stomach rumbled loudly. “I’m a growing boy,” he said sheepishly.   
Betty was secretly glad for the interruption. She was worried she would give away the feelings she buried deep inside. How could she not love him? He was devastatingly handsome, in a classic James Dean meets 90’s Skeet Ulrich sense. He was smart, sweet, and never failed to put a smile on her face. Betty quickly excused herself to call Veronica, saying she had promised to call that morning.   
She made her way out the back door and down to the tiny dock on the lake. She sat down next to the water and waited for Veronica to pick up.  
“Hello?”  
“Veronica it’s me. I have to tell you about this before I explode.”  
“Ooh is it about Jughead? Spill, girl.”  
When Betty was done rambling about what happened that morning, she took a deep breath and waited for Veronica’s response.  
“For god’s sake, B, just tell him how you feel!” Veronica sighed into the phone. She was starting to get impatient with her best friend. “Would he really agree to this whole thing just to see your grandma’s lake house? He looks at you like you put the stars in the sky. I guarantee he isn’t there just to see the water.”  
Betty gave a heavy sigh. “Maybe you’re right. I should just tell him. At least so I can get it off my chest.”  
\---  
The next few days passed fairly quickly. Betty and Jughead kept themselves busy fishing, canoeing, and lounging. Jughead couldn’t remember the last time he had felt so relaxed. Each night, he fell asleep quickly, eager to wake up with Betty in his arms once again. Before he knew it, their trip was almost over.   
On the second to last day, Betty suggested they go for a walk in the forest. The adults happily left them alone, assuming they would want some “private time.” When they got to a clearing, Betty turned to face him, eyes apprehensive as she took a deep breath. “Jughead I need to tell you something. I’ve been trying to tell you all week, but I kept getting scared, so I’m doing it now.” She looked away, shuffling a little where she stood.  
“Betty, you can tell me anything. You know that, right?” Jughead was starting to worry. He didn’t like seeing her like this  
“I love you,” she blurted suddenly, cheeks burning red and tears welling in her eyes. “Ever since we met, I’ve loved you.” Jughead was frozen in place. He couldn’t have heard that right. She loved him? After all these years, she loved him back? “Juggie, say something. Please.” Her voice was breaking and the words still wouldn’t come out of his mouth. He moved toward her, thankful that at least his legs were listening to his brain. He softly cupped Betty’s face in his hand, his eyes beginning to tear up, and kissed her softly.   
She gasped at his touch, but returned it eagerly. Their kiss got heated very quickly, and soon they were both gasping for breath, foreheads resting against one another.   
“I love you too,” Jughead whispered against the shell of her ear, sending a shiver down her spine. She grabbed him by the collar of his flannel shirt and pulled his lips to hers again, desperate to get impossibly closer. Betty felt as if she was floating, and Jughead was the only thing keeping her from flying away. He was her rock, her oxygen, her everything. She mentally kicked herself for waiting so long to tell him.   
Suddenly, she felt her back hit something hard and registered it as a tree. Then, Jughead’s lips left her mouth. She whined at the loss of contact until she felt it on her neck, sucking and biting down to her collarbone. Her hands found their way into his hair, and she ran her fingers through the dark locks, pulling a little. This earned her a deep moan against her collarbone as he sucked hard, creating a dark purple mark.  
“My mom is going to lose her mind when she sees that,” Betty murmured, not finding it in her to care.  
“What do they expect? From their point of view, we’ve been on our best behavior all week, and we finally got some time to ourselves,” Jughead rationalized before kissing her again. Now that he could kiss her whenever he wanted, he was certain he would make the most of every opportunity he got. He was an addict and Betty was his drug.   
“Veronica is going to be unbearable,” she sighed dreamily as they resurfaced for air once again. “She made me promise to tell her everything.” Panic flashed across her face as she met Jughead’s eyes once again. “Is that okay with you?” She asked anxiously.  
“Betty, darling, I want the whole world to know how much I love you.” He looked down at her with pure love and adoration etched into his features before he smirked and yelled out, “I love Betty Cooper!” into the forest around them, scaring several birds.  
Betty giggled and followed suit, screaming out, “I love Jughead Jones!” They laughed and decided to make their way back to Grandma Cooper’s house. It was almost dinner time, and Jughead never missed an opportunity for food.


End file.
